Latch-needle.



K. MEEH.

LATCH NEEDLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1911, RENEWED MAR. 21, 1914.

1,094,737. Patented Apr.28, 1914.

Fig.2.

KARL MEEI-I, OF HOHENS'I'EIN-EBNSTTHAL, GERMANY.

LATCH-NEEDLE.

nearest.

Application filed November 25, 1911, Serial No. 662,452.

To (171 whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL Mnnri, a subject of the German Emperor, and residing at Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latch-Needles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to latchneedles for use in stocking-knitting and knitting machines.

The attempts made heretofore in the wellknown latch-needles, for use in stockingknitting and knitting machines, to weld the pivot-pin into holes bored in the cheeks of the needles have not led to any' appreciable tangible results because, whether the weld ing was done by means of the electric current or by using other means, the welded part was immediately burnt away owing to its extremely small dimensions. The reason of this remained for a long time not clearly explained, but it was finally ascertained that the pivot-pin itself, which up to this time had been made of the same material as the latch-needle. was the cause of the welding operation being unsuccessful.

A primary object of my invention is to provide an improved process of providing latch-needles for stocking-knitting and knitting machines with their pivot-pins, and a further object is to provide improved latchneedles for such machines.

The novel feature of my process consists in providing the needle with a pivot-pin composed of a metal which has a higher melting point than the hard steel used in the manufacture of the needle proper, that is to say with one made of soft steel, wrought iron, nickel or the like, and in welding it into one or both of the two holes opposite one another in the cheeks of the needle.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a latchneedle, made according to my invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections, greatly enlarged, showing parts of latch-needles comprising pivot-pins mounted in two different ways.

Referring to the drawing, a, Z) designate two side pieces or cheeks provided with holes for the pivot-pin c of the latch-needle. The pivot-pin 0 must be composed of a metal softer than the hard steel used in the manufacture of the needle proper, because, as explained above, pivot-pins composed of hard Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Apr. 28, 191st.

Renewed March 21, 1914. Serial No. 826,441.

steel cannot be welded into the holes in the cheeks.

In consequence of a soft metal, 6. g. wrought iron, being used for the pivot-pin, the welded connection of the pivot-pin to the needle-cheeks can be made in a satisfactory manner. The welding operation is preferably effected by means of electric welding at a point by causing the two electrodes of the welding machine to operate against the two ends of the pivot-pin, whereby the pivot-pin is welded to the needle-cheeks in a very perfect manner.

As shown in Fig. 2, after the welding operation is terminated the ends of the pivot-pin a form one piece, as it were, with the needle-cheeks a, b as indicated by the crosshatching. There is nothing to prevent the length of the pivot-pin 0 being such at the beginning that the pin does not project out of the holes in the needle-cheeks, so that it is not necessary subsequently to grind down any bur or projecting portion of the pin, this being an additional advantage of my improved process.

In the modification represented in Fig. 3, the pivot-pin c is passed through the hole in the one cheek a so far that its front end enters into a hole or recess in the other cheek Z) and abuts against the part (Z of the latter cheek. The other end 6 of the pin projecting a little out of the check a is then welded to this cheek by means of the electric machine for welding at a point. In consequence of the soft metal of hich the pivot-pin is composed this welding operation also takes efiect at the other end of the pivot-pin, so that the latter is also fixed immovably at f. As the two places (Z and e are simultaneously heated by the electrodes, the pivot-pin is welded directly at one end and indirectly at the other; the weld at the part (Z of the pin is more or less imperfect, but at the part c it is exceedingly perfect. This mode of mounting the pivotpin has the advantage that the cheek (Z does not require to be subsequently ground. The pivot-pin is, however, secured not only in the one cheek, but also in the other cheek of the needle.

I claim 1. A latch-needle for use in knitting machines comprising in combination, a needle body composed of hard steel, and having two side pieces or cheeks opposite one another and a hole in each side piece or check, and a pivotpin having both ends welded in Con e holes of "he cheeks said pivot-pin being emposed of :1 metal having n higher melt point than the hard steel composing the needle body and the side pieces or cheeks of i s 2. it hitch needle for use in knitting machines omprising in combination, a needle hody composed of hard steel and having two side pieces or cheeks opposite one another and :2 hole in each side piece or cheek and a pivot in one end of? which is welded in the hole of one of the cheeks, the other end of the pin being immovahly fixed in the hole oi the other side piece or cheek, said pivotpin being composed of e metal having a higher melting point than the hard steel of the needle body.

It. latch needle for use in knitting mechines comprising in combination, a needle body composed of hard steel and having two side pieces or cheeks onnosite one anothen one of the side pieces or cheeks being pro vided with a hole and the other with a reeess, and a pivot-pin extending through the hole in one of the cheeks, its front end entering said recess of the other cheek, said pivot-pin being welded in the hole of one ot the (JllGGlIS and immovehly fixed in the recess of the other cheek and. being composed 01 :1, metal having a higher melting point than the hard steel of which the needle is composed.

ln testimony whereot I 11th:; my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

KARL MEEH. il itnesses SIDNEY RICH, KURT SINGER.

flopies 01" this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

